Stags’ boss John Dempster says he plans to sign up to five new players this summer ahead of his first season as manager of Mansfield Town.

The new boss, who was appointed as first team manager last Tuesday, says that chairman John Radford has pledged his ‘full support’ ahead of the 2019-20 campaign.

The Stags’ chief also added that he has registered his interest in the possible return of Nottingham Forest striker Tyler Walker, who scored 26 goals last term during a successful loan spell at One Call Stadium.

“I’m looking to sign three to five [players this summer],” he said. “It’s not a rebuild, but if we can strengthen in key areas, this squad will only become stronger.

“The chairman has promised me his full support. He’s aware that the current squad is strong, and he will support me with the new signings.

“When you have an owner and CEO like ours [John Radford and Carolyn Radford], they want the football club to progress, like it has. The long-term vision of the club has always been to get to that next level, and that hasn’t changed.

“We’ll be speaking to players and speaking to agents. This is an attractive place to be for footballers, but we won’t rush into signing players for the sake of it.

“They have to be of the right character as well as the right player. We’ll be speaking to the right people and getting references on character.

“I spoke to Tyler Walker this week and wished him well. He’s back at [Nottingham] Forest, speaking to the manager there to find out what the plans are with him.

“He’s another player who spoke really highly of the football club and enjoyed his time here. I’ve told Tyler that he would be more than welcome back here next season.

“Being realistic, he will have a whole host of clubs that want him if he is made available for loan. But it’s one that we’ll keep in the pipeline.

“I just wanted to let Tyler know how the football club felt about him. I felt that was important.”

The manager says he is ‘lucky’ to have ‘such a good squad’ at One Call Stadium, while also revealing that midfielder Jacob Mellis - who made 48 appearances for the amber and blue last term - has verbally agreed to stay with the Stags for next season.

“This isn’t a rebuild,” he explained. “I’ll make several tweaks along the way, but we have a good nucleus. We have good quality in particular areas, and I’ll look to add to that.

“I’m lucky to inherit such a good squad, and I’m lucky to be at this football club with the support I’ve got. I’m really confident I can move things forward.

“[I’m looking to improve] wide areas and centre-forward areas. They will be my main focus at this moment in time.

“We have good defenders at this football club. I’m speaking to Ben Turner later on today. He’s doing his UEFA B [licence] at St. George’s Park so I haven’t had the chance to speak to him yet.

“We have real strength in depth already under contract. It’s just about adding to some areas where I think we will improve.

“Jacob [Mellis] will be part of our squad next season. He’s a talented lad. I’ve given him a brief outline of what I’m looking for from him next season, but that will become clearer in pre-season.

“It [agreement with Mellis] is just verbal, but that won’t be a problem. He will be part of our squad next season.

“He is someone that has the ability to get players in behind, pass forward and is comfortable on the ball. He will play a big part in our squad next season.

“I’m looking forward to working with him and all of the other players.”

Since being appointed as the first team boss last Tuesday, the new manager has held meetings with Stags’ first team players ahead of their respective summer breaks.

“It [first week] has been busy,” he added. “It’s brilliant to sit down with the players and discuss plans going forward. It’s been a really positive first week.

“There was a lot of disappointment [from the players] on how the season finished. After having those discussions, all of the players left with a positive mindset.

“I asked them to go and enjoy their break, to go and complete their off-season programmes and come back with a really positive vibe looking forward to the season ahead.

“[The players] are good characters. The biggest thing for me is how the players spoke about the football club.

“It’s a place where they enjoy working and they are grateful to be here. I think that says a lot.

“The players will report back on 26 June. We’ll be back and we’ll be fitness testing. It will be a gradual build-up throughout pre-season.

“We obviously have the Portugal trip. We’ll be there for a week and then we’ll start rolling into the games.”

John Dempster also hopes to have the vacant assistant manager’s position filled by the end of the day.

“I’m hoping that [assistant manager position] will be finalised today. We’ve agreed verbally with an experienced assistant manager who is coming in. We can get that out there later today hopefully.

“I’ve enjoyed it [first week]. We have some good characters in and around the ground, not just the medical and coaching staff, but in the offices here.

“I’ve enjoyed it. The pressure will start when the games start, that’s natural. But it’s so far, so good, and I’ve really enjoyed it.”

iFollow Stags subscribers can watch the manager’s interview in full by logging into mansfieldtown.net/ifollow later today.

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Jacob Mellis to stay with Mansfield Town
chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS, Tuesday 21 May 2019

Midfield ace Jacob Mellis has confirmed he will remain a Mansfield Town player next season.

With the former Chelsea man out of contract after a superb season, new Stags boss John Dempster has moved quickly to try to tie him up and said: “Jacob is done and he will be part of our squad next season.

“He is a talented lad. I have given him a brief outline of what I am looking for from him next season.

“I will highlight certain players to the chairman and I am sure he’ll back me.

“I’d like to bring in three to five players in key areas. If I can, then this squad, which is already strong, will become even stronger.”

The Stags were last year widely reported to have had a ‘top three’ budget and that amount spent is unlikely to fall this season, though Dempster said it was impossible to know how that would compare with rivals at this stage.

“Even if you look at our current squad that are under contract, in terms of budget we’re going to have a competitive one,” he said.

“What other clubs do or spend is out of my control.

“I have a good idea that the clubs that have come to League Two will have a go, and I know for a fact that the two clubs that have come up from the Conference will have a decent budget as well.

“But we will be right up there in terms of budgets and being competitive.”

He added: “Our target is progression. When you have an owner and CEO like ours they want the club to progress like it has.

“The long term vision for the club has always been to get it to the next level and that hasn’t changed.”

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Nottingham Forest loanee Tyler Walker told he would be very welcome to return to Mansfield Town
chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS, Tuesday 21 May 2019

Mansfield Town’s new boss John Dempster has told top scorer Tyler Walker he would be very welcome to return to the Stags next season if it was an option.

The Nottingham Forest loanee striker, who bagged 26 goals for Mansfield, will meet with Reds boss Martin O’Neill this week to discuss his future.

Aware there would be huge competition if Forest allow him out on loan again, Dempster said he felt it right to make sure Walker knew the new manager would welcome him with open arms.

“He is back at Forest speaking to the manager there to find to what their plans are with him. He could end up in their plans.

“He is another player who has spoken very highly of this football club and loved his time here.

“So I have encouraged him that he would be more than welcome back here next season if that was an option.”

Dempster added: “Being realistic, he is going to have a whole host of clubs that would want him if he was made available for loan, probably from higher divisions - we know that.

“So that’s something we’ll just keep in the pipeline. “I just wanted to make sure Tyler knew how I felt about him and how this football club felt about him and if it was an option we’d love to have him back.”

Walker was one of five loanees at the club, but Dempster said he was the only one they would be pursuing.

“The rest of the loan players have returned to their parent clubs, but Tyler was one who was outstanding for us. So I thought it was important to touch base with him,” he said.

“I know the football club had already thanked him for his services, but I felt it was important.”

Three of the loanees came from Forest with both clubs’ owners enjoying a great relationship - and Dempster said that may prove useful in picking up any other suitable Reds prospects that become available.

“That link is still strong. The Nottingham Forest owners and ours are very close,” he said.

“I know their senior coaching staff quite well and, if it’s right for both football clubs, then that is hopefully a link we can make the most of.”